On Expectations, recorded in 1971, pianist Keith Jarrett, who has just left Miles Davis, showed that he could manipulate many types of music. Topics include jazz (Circular Letter), rock (Sundance), gospel (There Is a Road), Latin (Common Mamma) and free-jazz (Roussillion). The basic group for this album consisted of Jarrett's regular quartet with saxophonist Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden and
… drummer Paul Motion, supplemented here and there by the rock guitar of Sam Brown and percussion of Airto Moreira. In addition, a string and wind section provided an extra atmospheric addition to some of the songs and Jarrett occasionally played the organ and soprano saxophone. Despite the variety of styles, the album has a unity, largely supported by Jarrett's expressionist piano playing. This album showed that Jarrett was an artist to be reckoned with. That makes it extra strange that record company Columbia dumped Jarrett, two weeks after the release of Expectations. (HB)more